oregon sage-grouse habitat improvement initiative

Dawn Davis

ODFW

Largest North American grouse

Lek mating system Long-lived (up to 5

years) Low productivity Sagebrush obligate Requires vast

expanses of sagebrush

Umbrella species

Greater

Greater

Sage-grouse populations are vulnerable to

habitat fragmentation

Winter

Leks

Nesting & Early Brood-rearing

Late Brood-rearing

Fall

Habitat Feature Habitat Use Habitat – Wetter

Sites

Habitat – Dryer

Sites

Sagebrush

canopy cover

Nesting Cover 15-25% 15-25%

Sagebrush height Nesting Cover 15-30 inches 12-30 inches

Sagebrush

growth form

Nesting Cover Spreading form,

few if any dead

branches

Spreading form,

few if any dead

branches

Grass & forb

height

Nesting Cover ≥ 7 inches ≥ 7 inches

Grass & forb

canopy cover

Nesting Cover &

Food

≥ 25% ≥ 15%

Forb abundance

& variety

Food High High

Nest

Productive sagebrush cover –

Classes 4,5 (15-25%)

Marginal sagebrush cover –

Class 3 (10%)

Insufficient sagebrush cover –

Classes 1,2 (5%)

A columnar structure provides

less cover and leaves nests more

visible to predators.

Preferred spreading branch

form.

15-30 in

height

Successful nest Unsuccessful nest

Habitat Feature Habitat Use Productive Habitat

Sagebrush canopy cover Cover 10-25%

Sagebrush height Cover 15-30 inches

Proximity of sagebrush

cover

Cover Sagebrush cover is

adjacent (<100 yards) to

brood-rearing areas

Grass & forb canopy cover Cover & Food ≥ 15%

Riparian & wet meadows Food Wetland plant species

dominate

Riparian & wet meadow

stability

Cover & Food Some bare ground may be

evident but vegetative

cover dominates the site

Forb availability in uplands

& wet areas

Food Succulent forbs are readily

available in terms of

distribution & plant

structure

Habitat

Feature

Habitat

Use

Productive

Habitat

Sagebrush

canopy

cover

Cover &

Food

10-30%

Sagebrush

height

Cover &

Food

10-14

inches

above snow

level

Sage-grouse do best in landscapes with:

• >70% sagebrush cover

• <3% development

If >30% of sagebrush is lost in a landscape: • Likelihood of occupancy decreases

• Population persistence decreases

• Changes to landscape structure are detrimental

Wildfire

Invasive weeds/Wildfire-exotic annual grass cycle

Juniper expansion

Prescribed fire

Vegetation treatments (e.g., sagebrush removal)

Improper livestock grazing

Predation

Realty (e.g., land use changes)

Energy development and transmission

Recreation

West Nile Virus

Oil or gas wellheads/energy development

Roads

Buildings

Powerlines

Center-pivots/agriculture

Wind turbines

Communication towers

Fences

Noise

?

70/30 Goal

Conserve >70% of sage-grouse habitat

Approximates the current status of intact

and disturbed habitat in Oregon

Science-based, i.e., 70% serves as a

biological threshold

Ensures goals are being met at both

local & regional scales

No net loss

90% of the breeding population

Only 38% of the range

Identifies the most productive landscapes

Represents a fraction of the occupied range

How do we establish

acceptable levels of

disturbance in core

habitat?

How can ODFW and

other participating

agencies coordinate

their conservation

efforts with

SAGECON?